Sen. Warren supports ex-rival Scott Brown as VA secretary

BOSTON (AP) — U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren said Thursday that she'd support her former bitter rival Scott Brown if President-elect Donald Trump taps him for Veterans Affairs secretary.

The Massachusetts Democrat told WGBH-FM she is convinced that her one-time Republican foe, who served more than 30 years in the National Guard, would put the concerns of veterans first.

"If Scott Brown is the nominee for Veterans Affairs, I have no doubt that he would put his heart and soul into trying to help veterans," Warren said. "And I would put my heart and soul into trying to help him do that. You bet I'd support him for that."

The two were fierce rivals in 2012 when Warren unseated Brown in the most expensive campaign ever waged in Massachusetts.

Following a 2010 special election, Brown filled the U.S. Senate seat left vacant by the death of longtime Democratic Sen. Edward Kennedy.

Brown has told reporters he believes he is "the best person" for the VA job. He said his priorities would be to combat veterans' mental health issues in hopes of preventing suicides.

Brown, who now lives in New Hampshire, was an early supporter of Trump, choosing to endorse him ahead of that state's first-in-the-nation primary.

At the time, Brown's public backing of the New York real estate developer was the first endorsement by a current or former senator and was an early indication that some in the Republican establishment were warming to his candidacy.

Warren also praised former Republican Gov. Mitt Romney, under consideration for secretary of state.

"I'd like to hear more, but I think Mitt Romney is a smart man, and I think he's got a pretty level-headed view of the world," Warren said. "There's a lot of good stuff to say about him."

She said she'll hold off on saying more until she has a chance to meet with Romney if he is the nominee.

Warren was one of Trump's most caustic critics during the campaign, lambasting him as a "fraudster-in-chief" and a "small, insecure moneygrubber." She is up for re-election in 2018.